Spring-forming machine



June 19, 1923.

T. F. B'UCKLEY SPRING FORMING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20, 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 19, 1923.

T. F. BUCKLEY SPRING FORMING MACHINE Filed Aug. 20 1921 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WITNESSES- fiQ/ 3342,

' the Patented June 19, 1923. a

UNITED STATES PAT NT "OFFICE-3 11i;

- THOMAS E. BUGKLEY, or SCRANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SPRING-resume A HINE.

Application filed August 20, 1921. Serial at, 493,832. 7

certain new and useful Improvement in Spring-Forming Machines, of which improvementthe following is a specification.

'My present invention relates tospringforming machines of the general class or typeof that set forthgin Letters Patent of United StatesNo. 1,275,377, granted and issued to myself and, Samuel S. Riegel, un-. der date ofAugust 13, 1918, and its object is to produce. an appliance of such type which shall present all the advantages of that above specified, and. shall, further, be of'instandards 1.

creased capacity ofproduction within given time limits, and present automatically operating facilities for'transferring the shaped springplates into and, out of an oil bath. The, improvement claimed is hereinafter fully set forth. t v

. In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a sideview in-elevation of a spring-forming machine, illustrating an embodiment of my invention; Fi 2, a front elevation, partlyin section, of t e same; Fig. 3, apartial' plan view, showing'a structural modification of the means for imposing tension upon the-resistance member; and Fig. 4, a side In the practice of myinvention, referring descriptively to the specific embodiment thereof which is herein. exemplified, I provide a substantial supporting structure, comprising a pair of vertical posts or standards 1 ,1 which are secured, at a proper distance apart, upon a base orbed of any suitable and preferred construction, Anoil vat 17, which is open at its top, is attached to the bed, in the space between the supporting Two rotatable table carriers, each, of

which is in the form of a plate, having a hub or center 1", and arms 1, projecting, at a right angle one to the other, therefrom, are

journaled, by short lateral shafts or trun- .,nions 1, in bearings .1 on the tops of the standards 1 The table carriers are rigidly connected,one to the other, by fiat tables or plates 1,,1, each of which is secured to the arms of the two carriers which extend in the 7 same direction fromthe hubs orcenters',,-1

1 thereof, the tables, 1,,1, being cons equently located at a right angle, one tothe other, ,1. arms, 1, a 1*, carrying counterbalancing under pressure to and from opposite endsof {it does not form any part of my presentinair, is

i the trunn ons, 1,

weights, 1 1 are secured'to the t'a-ble carriers, pro ecting therefrom at a proper an axial line of the trunnions,,1l, 1 is impart ed to the table. carriers and connected tables, a ,1, 1, so as to bring one'or the other ofsaid inder,18,,which is secured to oneof the standards, 1 A rack, 19*, is formed onthe piston rod, 19, of the cylinder, 18, said rack engaging apinion, 20, fixed on the trunnion, 1 of one of the table carriers, .the range of traverse of the piston rod and rack'being such as; to effect the requisite movement, n

either direction, of'the' table carriers and tables." ,The admission and exhaust of" fluid the cylinder may be effected by any suitable known form of valve Inechanism,which,ras

vention, is not herein set forth.

Each of the tables, 1, 1, carries a spring? forming mechanism, which, in the instance exemplified, is simil'ar't'o. that set forth in an application for Letters Patent of the United [States filed b me, under date of July 30,

1921,Serial 0 }fil88,545. Said specificmechlanism is 'n'otthe'refore claimed as ofmy'present invention,

I and; any other suitable and preferred forinjmlay be applied, without departure therefrom. In order,howe-ver, that the operation of the spring forming machine of my present invention may b'esfully" and clearly understood, said mechanismiwill now ,be fully described.

A; fluid pressure cylinder, 2, is fixed on each of the tables, 1, 1,'said cylinder being fitted with a" properly packed piston, which issecur ed" upon pistonrod, 2 projecting 100 from the inner end of thecylinder, Operating fluid, which is preferablycompressed supplied to ctuate the piston, the ad 7 mission andexhaust being effected through a pipe, 2 passing axially through 'onefiof and controlled by any suitable known valve mechanism.,

A cross head, 3, is secured to'the tutti end of the piston rod, said cross head being 1 .7

a curved te'inplet orj formation lateffi.

tables, asfdesired, intoa'horizontal plane, for operation in the shaping of spring plates, by the piston of a fluid pressurefcylcoupled, by a plurality' of connections, to 0 two end connections are applied, each' of said connections comprising two rods, 4, having right and left hand screw threads, respect ively, and connected by a corresponding threaded nut or turnbuckle, 5, the opposite ends of the rods being secured to the cross head and the formation plate, respectively. By this means, the curvature of the'formar tion plate may be readily adjusted as desired. l

- A-fi-xed flexible resistance member, which is shown in thefform' of a flat link chain, 7,

ance member 7. The springs, 8, bear on collars on the rods, and on abiutnients fixed to the table, and their tension may be adjusted, as desired, by nuts, engaging screw threads on the rods, 8 L

, The chain, 7, is maintained, at two points in its length, at its normal distance from the cross head, as determined by t-hel tension to which it is subjected, by the springs, 8, and the extent of its operative flexible length is limited loy the blocks, 9, which are fitted, with the capacity of longitudinal movement, on the table, and are' secured adjustably thereto, by bolts and nuts, said bolts passing. through slots; in the table, which are located at a right angle tothe axial line of the piston rod, 2, The blocks, 9, are coupled to anvil blocks, 9, secured to the chain, 7.

.As shown in full and broken lines, respectively,in Fig. 1, when one of the tables, 1 1', has been brought into horizontal operative position, the other table has been, in and by the same adjustment, depressed into the oil vat, 17. The spring plate which has been shaped on the depressed table is then dropped therefrom upon a plurality of'endless chain conveyors, 21, fitted to intermittentlytraverse longitudinally in the lower portion of the oil vat, 17, and actuated by a "belt, 22, working on a pulley, 23, on one if the trunnions, 1 of the table carriers, and a pulley ratcheted on a shaft, 21*, journ all ed in the lower portion of the oil vat,

1.'Z,, sa,id shaft being rota-table in one direction only.

The spring plate is delivered by the co nveyors, 2 1,qtoupwardly inclined chain conveyors, 24,, by which itis carried to the top of the, oilivat, and discharged therefrom 1 eve manned tad plate, 25.

Figs, 4 illustrate a structural modit-ffication of the means fo'rimparting tension to theresistance member, 7 which conslsts in a timid pressurecylinder, 26, the piston resistance member, as in Letters Patent No.

1,275,377, and in myapplication Serial No. 488,5l5 aforesaid. Pressure is then'admitted to thefcylinder, 18, and the other table is thereby raisedinto operative horizontal po.- sition, and the table on which the spring plate has been bent, together with the bent spring plate are depressed into the oil vat,- 17. This table remains depressed posi' tion duringthe bending of another spring plate on the table that has been raised into operative position, and the bent spring plate that has dropped from it, iscarried forwardly and upwardly by the conveyors, 21 and 24, and discharged from the oil vat.

My invention presents the substantial aol- I vantages'of increasing the amount of work that maybe done in a given time,'and'of supplying the finished spring plates; to and removing them from, the oil vat, without requiring manipulation by the operator. One table is always in readiness for operation, and its removal from operative position,

coincidentally brings another table into a such position, and delivers thepla'te that has l'ieenoperated on to theoil vat, the" delivery from which is performed, atthe proper time, without further adjustment.

I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent: I

1. In a spring forming machine, the combination with an oil vat, of a pluralityof tablesj'a't right angles to each other, journalled above said vat so as to swing into and out ofthe same, a flexible resistance a member on each table, means to impart vari- I able tension to said member, a power-act-u ated cross-head on each table movable towards and from said member,'a formation plate of adjustable curvature carried by said A cross-head, power-actuated means to 'os'cillate, sald tables into horizontal position above said vat or nto vert cal pos tion 1n the same, and a conveyor in said vat, driven by said means, to receive the completed plate from the vertical table andconvey it out of saidvat. .7 I a 2. In a spring forming machine, the co'rn-i bination with an oil vat, of apair of tables at; right angles to each other journalled above said vat so as to be depressible th re: in, a power cylinder on each table, a formation plate operatively connected thereto,

' said connection comprising means to vary tables to raise and lower the same out of and into said Vat, and conveyor chains in said vat, operatively connected to said last mentioned power cylinder, to convey the finished springs out of said vat.

3. In a spring forming machine, the combination of a supporting table; a flexible resistance member, extending longitudinally thereon; a fluid pressure cylinder, located be- ,15 I

low the table a double armed lever, journalled on the table and having one of its arms coupled'to the resistance member, and the other to the piston of the cylinder; a power actuated cross head, movable towards 20" v and from the resistance member; and a curved formation plate I connected to said cross head.

THOMAS F. 'BUCKLEY." Witnesses JOHN F. MURRAY, I I WILLIAM A. MAYLIN. 

